Heroin user who dumped body in park is imprisoned

LOCKPORT – The man who dumped a body in a North Tonawanda park after a fatal overdose in his apartment will serve one to three years in prison.

But Miguel E. Febres may face more serious legal troubles than the sentence Niagara County Judge Sara Sheldon Farkas imposed Friday. Febres, 33, was arrested again after the county Drug Task Force raided his Zimmerman Street apartment Nov. 1 and seized 16 bags of heroin, allegedly packaged for sale. Agents also seized packaging material, a scale, a loaded handgun and $875 in cash.

The top charge is a Class B drug felony, which could bring Febres as long as nine years in prison if he convicted. Farkas warned Febres that any sentence she might eventually give him if he is convicted in that case will be added to the one she imposed Friday.

Febres pleaded guilty Aug. 2 to tampering with physical evidence for hauling the body of David C. Brandl, 22, of Lockport, about a mile, from Zimmerman Street to Mayor’s Park, on the night of April 26-27. It was discovered the next morning by a National Grid crew.

Toxicology tests showed Brandl died of an overdose of heroin and cocaine.

Defense attorney Peter Pecoraro said Febres is also a heroin addict. Deputy District Attorney Holly E. Sloma said Febres provided drugs to Brandl on April 26.

“It wasn’t his time to die in such a hideous manner and then be disposed of in the park,” said Brandl’s mother, Mary Hathaway. “My question to Mr. Febres is why nobody called 911 or took him to the hospital.”

“You treated this young man like so much garbage,” Farkas told Febres.

“I’m sorry for what happened,” Febres said.

Two others who helped Febres dispose of the corpse have pleaded guilty to misdemeanor charges of attempted evidence tampering.